Electric switch.



F. J. DECKER.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION man OCT. 13, ms.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

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F J. DECKER.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED ocT..|3. ms.

1,207,718. I Patented Dec.12,1916.

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Wihwooeo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK J'. DECKER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 SHAFER-DECKER COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

Original application filed June 9, 1915, Serial No. 33,171. Divided and this application filed October 13,

1915. Serial N0.55,742.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FnEDEnIoK J. DECKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification. I

The invention relates to an electric switch adapted to be used with motor vehicles as described in my copending application Serial Number 33,171, filed June 9, 1915 of which the present application is a division.

An object of the invention is to provide a switch of this character adapted to be used with motor vehicles whereby the motor carried by the truck will be allowed to run free and the desired speed of the motor may be attained before starting the truck whereby the motor will be free at starting of any load.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel feature of construction, combination, formation and arrangement of arts as will be hereinafter more fully escribed and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated the simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but the right is hereby reserved to make any changes, alterations or modifications to which recourse may be had that come within the scope of the'invention without departing from the spirit thereof or sacrificing the eflicency of the same.

The invention will be best understood when having reference to the accompanying drawings taken in connection with the following detailed description.

In the drawings: Figure 1, is a side eleva tion of the switch as applied to the toe board of the vehicle showing the resistances connected thereto. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sec tion of the same taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a vertical section of the switch, having the resistances removed therefrom. Fig. 4, is a side view of the switch resistances removed, and Fig. 5, is an enlarged plan view of the piston when removed from the switch.

Like and corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the ,seyer a l views.

The reference numeral 1 indicates the toe board of the vehicle in which is mounted a socket 2 having slidable therein a piston stem 3 carrying a foot plate at the upper end thereof. Below the toe board is mounted a cylinder 4 having a cylinder head 5 thereon with an opening therein through which the piston stem 3 extends to the piston 6. The cylinder head is provided with a stuff ing box 7 by which a tight joint is made between the cylinder head and the piston stem.

Inside of the cylinder 4 is provided the long insulating sleeve 8 having a series of cylindrical conductors and cylindrical insulators mounted inside thereof. At the top is an insulating ring 9 below which is a conductor ring 10. Below this are the insulating rings 11,12, 13, and 14, between which are placed the conductor rings 15, 16, and 17. On top of the insulating sleeve 8 and the insulating ring 9 is placed the packing ring 18, on the cylinder head is a flange 19 adapted to engage with the packing ring as it is screwed down in place and force the sleeve and the insulating and conducting rings firmly in place.

From the conducting rings 10, 15, 16, and 17 pass a series of studs through the cylinder, one for each of the conductor rings. These studs are indicated by the reference numerals 20, 21, 22 and 23. Each of these studs is insulated from the cylinder by an insulating washer such as is shown at 24.

The piston is built up as follows: The stem is shouldered at 25 and on the first reduced part of the stem is fastened a piston. The piston is made up of two collars 26 and 27 fastened together by the screws 28. Each of the collars has radial flanges thereon and between these flanges is carried the piston ring 29 which makes close contact with the interior of the cylinder to make good electrical connection and prevent the passage of the liquid contained within the cylinder. The piston is held on the stem by the nut 30, which engages with the threaded part of the stem 31. The piston is perforated at several places as indicated at 32.

In the lower part of the cylinder 4 is formed a socket 33 which receives the spring 34, which, by its expansion longitudinally, normally holds the piston at the top of the cylinder. As the piston is pressed down it compresses this spring and as soon as the piston is released the spring expands and presses the piston to the top of the cylinder again. In the bottom of the cylinder is formed a sleeve 35 in which is fastened the tube 36, which tube is opened at the top and closed at the bottom. In this tube slides the lower end of the piston stem. The lower end of the piston is slit from the piston down, as indicated at 37, and between the two halves of the piston stem is inserted the spring 38 which, by its expansion, forces the two parts of the piston'stem outwardly and makes good contact between them and the tube 36.

The interior of the cylinder 1 is to be filled with oil. which oil is for the purpose of retarding the movement of the piston. The oil may be omitted wholly or partly above the first contact ring so that the piston may move quickly to the first contact. As the piston is pressed down the oil below the piston flows up through the opening through the piston into the space above the piston and the speed at which the piston will travel will be determined by the rate in which the oil will flow through the small openings in the piston. The tube 36 will also be filled with oil below the piston stem, but this oil will be displaced by the piston stem, the oil flowing through the slot in the stem, flowing up as the stem comes down and flowing down as the stem rises.

In the sides of the piston stem are placed at the top a series of cone shaped recesses indicated by 39, 10 and 41. Mounted in the cylinder head 5 are the pins %2 and %3 which are pressed inwardly by springs and engage with the recesses 39, a0 and 41. These pins indicate the travel of the piston stem and tend to hold it in the position indicated by them. In the cylinder head 5 is formed a key which engages in the keyway and holds the stem from turning, thus holding the cone shaped recesses in line with the pins that engage with them.

Between the studs 20, 21, 22 and 23 are arranged a series of resistances that will be described: Each resistance consists of a cast ing having a plate at each end connected by a serpentine ribbon of metal. as shown in detail. Each of these resistances will be called a grid, and they are connected in series with each other and with the studs as follows: Clamped on the stud 20 is a spacing block 46, to the ends of which the ends of two grids are clamped by a belt or bolts. The grid at the left is indicated by the reference numeral 1-7. Between the bottom of the grid 17 and the bottom of the grid 418 a similar spacing block is interposed, the two grids being connected to the opposite sides of it by bolts. In this manner the grids are alternately connected together at the top and the bottom so that the current will flow down the even numbered grids and up through the odd numbered grids, the

grids being connected at the proper places to the studs either directly or by special conductors. It will be noticed that five grids are interposed between the studs 20 and 21 and five more grids are interposed between the studs 21 and 22 and six more grids are interposed between the studs 22 and 23 and that sixteen grids in all are in series. A conductor 52 is placed in contact with the grid 51 at one end and with the stud 23 at the opposite end. The grids collectively are arranged in the form of a cylinder concentric with the switch cylinder, which cylinder is supported from the switch cylinder by the four studs 20 to 23 inclusive. One terminal of the battery is clamped to the tube 36 by the nut 55 and the otherterminal of the battery is clamped in like manner to the stud 23. hen the piston is at the top of the cylinder the circuit is open and no current will pass. lVhen the piston is moved down to the first contact ring the circuit is closed through the motor and all of the resistances are then in series with the motor. \Vhen the piston moves to the second contact ring, five of the resistance grids will be cut out from the circuit and when the piston moves to the third contact ring, five more will be cut out from the circuit and when the piston moves to the last contact ring, all of the resistance grids will be cut out from the circuit. Then a shunt motor is used, which is made possible by the free running motor as described in my co-pending application Serial Number 33,171, filed June 9, 1915, in which case the field wire would be connected to the top contact giving a full field to start the motor. and owing to the low resistance of the grids and the small amount of current; flow, the drop in voltage on the advance steps of the switch, is very small.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An electric switch comprising a cylinder containing oil, a sleeve of insulating material in said cylinder, a series of spaced conducting rings mounted within the sleeve, means for insulating the rings from each other, a binding post connected with each ring and extending through and insulated from the cylinder, a conducting piston mounted in the cylinder and adapted to successively contact with the conducting rings, said conducting piston having openings for the passage of the oil in the cylinder, whereby to retard the movement of the piston, a bearing in the bottom of the cylinder, a conducting stem slidable with the piston and operating in the bearing, and a spring interposed between the bottom of the cylinder and the piston to return said piston to normal position.

2. An electric switch comprising a cylinder containing oil, a ndu ting em s idably mounted therein, a conducting piston carried by the conducting stem, a socket formed within the lower end of the cylinder for receiving the lower end of the conducting stem, conducting members insulated from each other and arranged within the cylinder, said piston adapted successively to contact with said conducting members, and the stem having means of communication between the socket and the interior of the cylinder whereby the oil may pass there through for the purpose set forth.

3. An electric switch comprising a cylinder, a sleeve of insulated material within the cylinder, a plurality of conducting rings within the insulated sleeve, means for insulating the rings from each other, binding posts connected with the rings and extending through the cylinder and insulated therefrom, a conducting piston slidably mounted within the cylinder and adapted in its movement to successively contact with said rings, conducting mean slidable with the piston, a guide disposed in the cylinder and spaced from the conducting rings for guiding the slidable conducting means, and means for retarding the movement of the piston and the conducting means when operated in the cylinder.

4. An electric switch comprising a cylinder containing oil, a sleeve of insulated material mounted in the cylinder, a plurality of rings mounted in the sleeve, means for insulating the rings from each other, aconductor leading from each ring and extending through and insulated from the cylinder, a conducting piston slidably mounted within said cylinder and adapted to contact with said rings, a slotted stem extending from the conductor piston, a hollow guide on the cylinder in which said stem operates, the oil being forced through the slot to retard the movement of the piston and slotted stem when said parts are moved in the cylinder, and means contained in the cylinder for returning the conducting piston and conducting stem to normal position.

5. An electric switch comprising a cylinder, a plurality of conducting members arranged therein, a plurality of spaced grids parallel with the axis of the cylinder and mounted on the exterior of the latter, means for connecting said grids with said conducting members, means co perating with. the conducting members for successively cutting out the resistance connected with the respective conducting members, and a conductor movable with said latter means to carry current thereto.

6. A switch of the character described comprising a cylinder containing oil, a plurality of conducting rings arranged within the cylinder, a socket formed within the lower end of the cylinder, a reciprocating conducting stem arranged within the cylinder and having one end mounted in said socket, said stem having an opening therein forming communication between the socket and the interior of the cylinder for the passage of the oil to retard the movement of the conducting stem, a conductor leading from the socket, and a conductor leading from each of said rings.

7. A switch of the class described comprising a cylinder, a sleeve of insulating material arranged Within the cylinder, a plurality of spaced conducting rings arranged within the sleeve, rings of insulation separating adjacent conducting rings, a conductor leading from each conducting ring and extending through and insulated from the cylinder, a conducting stem within said cylinder, a conducting piston car ried by said conducting stem and adapted to successively contact with said conducting rings, means for normally holding said piston in raised position and to also hold said piston in position when in contact with any one of the rings, and means cooperating with the conducting stem to retard movement of the piston in the cylinder.

8. In a switch of the character described, the combination of a cylinder containing oil, a sleeve of insulated material mounted in the cylinder, a conducting ring mounted in the cylinder, a binding post leading from the conducting ring and extending through and insulated from the cylinder, a conducting piston slidably mounted in the cylinder, a stem extending through the conducting piston, the upper end of the stem extending beyond the cylinder to form means for operating the conducting piston, means cooperating with the extended portion of the stem to hold the piston in depressed position, the lower end of the stem having a slot, a socket in which, the slotted end of the piston operates to form a conductor, the oil passing from the socket to the cylinder through the slot to retard the movement of the conducting piston, and means be tween the conducting piston and the bot tom of the cylinder to retain the conducting piston in normal position and out of contact with the conducting ring.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK J. DECKER.

Witnesses MA'r'rm M. FULLER, GRACE L. WILLIAMS.

ggp ies of this patent may be obtained tor five cents each, by addressing the (Jonmrissioner of Patentg.

' Washington, D- G. 

